THE NIGHT OF THE ICE COLD DEATH

By Andamogirl

WWW

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Much later

The Wanderer

Head resting on his fist, Artemus Gordon was trying to stay awake.

His head was pounding and felt like it was splitting in half – and even the noise of Jim buttering his toast was too loud.

He winced. "Oh boy! I feel like someone has stuffed the old noggin' full of tapioca…" he whispered. "All I want is to sleep until next year, maybe next century."

Pouring Artie a new cup of his James West molasses-like-coffee-special, Jim said, "If it can console you, all the others are in the same state as you - and they are in prison. All, except Vautrain. As he can use his power to flee into time, into the past or the future, as you know, he was placed in an asylum, where he will be well treated, but where he will be constantly drugged to make him incapable of having a coherent thought about using his power, to prevent him from fleeing... We did it, buddy!"

Artie groaned. ""Shh! Too loud..."

Toning down his voice, Jim continued, "We did it! Loveless, Vautrain and all their men are behind bars, and the MEOPG group members are in a cell too and like the others waiting to be tried. Colonel Richmond is ecstatic and the President very happy and immensely relieved."

Grimacing, Artie took up his cup, drinking his partner's version of coffee slowly. "You should put some water in your coffee, y'know… it would help." He forced himself to finish his cup and burying his face in his hands he said, "I think I'll go back to my bed, until I feel better… I should have stayed in it." And he stood.

He was dragging himself toward the door leading to the narrow walkway when there was a knock at the door, and he grimaced, his head throbbing back in disagreement.

Before Jim could stand, the door opened and Ulysses S. Grant entered the room, looking cheerful. "Good day gentlemen!"

Standing, Jim smiled and replied, "Good day Mr. President, " and he moved forward to take Grant's hat and coat damp with rain. "Welcome on board, Sir."

Feeling instantly better at the sight of Ulysses S. Grant he loved like a surrogate father, Artemus headed toward the President. "Welcome on board Sir. It's a pleasure to see you."

Grant smiled broadly and said, "It's a pleasure to see you both too," and he shook his agents's hands vigorously and warmly. "Jim, Artemus, you did a great job in arresting Loveless and Vautrain and their accomplices and the members of the MEOPG group." He fished around in the pockets of his jacket (loaded with two dozen cigars, a day's supply, like during the war), taking out three long, thick, cigars and a small pocket knife. He opened it and clipped the end of the cigars off, then handed one to Artie and one to Jim.

Both smiling, they said in a chorus, "Thank you, Sir."

Smiling too, Grant said, "It's always pleasure to share a good cigar with you, gentlemen," and he pocketing the small knife. Then he raised his cigar to his mouth, placing it between his teeth. "Especially after a successful mission."

Both Artie and Jim imitated the older man, sticking the cigar between their own teeth.

Artie nodded. "We did that a lot of times during the war, Sir, after I came back from my espionage missions in enemy territory."

Ulysses S. Grant pulled out a box of matches from his breast coat pocket, scratched one against the work table and lighted up his cigar before lighting the two men's. "Yes, I remember. There were little moments of peace and tranquility in the tumult and the destruction of war…"

Both Jim and Artie said "Thank you Sir", at the same time again and it made Grant chuckle. "I came here to congratulate you personally, gentlemen… and to tell you that I will give you a citation for this outstanding work and personal involvement…" He stared at Artie and added, "and sacrifices to protect me."

Looking at Artie whose eyes were haunted, as he remembered what had happened to him plus his nightmares, Jim said, "Thank you very much Sir… Artie, perhaps you could prepare some decent coffee and maybe some cakes for the President… In the meantime I will tell the President, in detail all that happened and that is not in the report, okay?"

Needing to regain control of himself, Artemus nodded. He gave Jim a smile back to thank him for that, and headed toward the galley.

Hearing that, Grant frowned a bit upset. "I thought your report was very detailed… Alright. Tell me what you didn't include in your report. I want to know everything" He took a deep drag from his big cigar and puffed out a long, slow breath of smoke.

WWW

Two weeks later,

Charlotte cemetery, North Carolina

Standing in front of the grave covered with grass and wild flowers, Artie said, "That's pretty strange…looking at his own grave."

Placing a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder Jim nodded and read the fading inscription on the mossy headstone, 'Jack Maitland, disappeared, September 20, 1829'... Well, he disappeared, that's right. After he was dead, after you were dead, I brought you with me into the future. And we know exactly when we left to go back to our time, now. September 20, 1829."

Artie nodded. "It took me weeks of intense research to finally find him… and curiously he was buried in Charlotte like in Vautrain's lie…"

Jim nodded. "It's a coincidence. Now let's find someone who knew Jack Maitland ... and it could be very difficult. He has been dead for 46 years."

Suddenly they heard someone ask, "You wish to have information about Jack Maitland?"
I can assist you. I knew him." It was a voice of elderly woman, quivering.

They both turned around and saw an old woman head in their direction, with the help of a cane.

She suddenly stopped, paled and frightened she cried out, "Dear God! You're ghosts!" and she started to move back, now terrified.

But Artie rushed toward her and took her hand. "I'm not a ghost, see? My hand is warm. I'm very much alive and my friend is, too."

He glanced at Jim and said, "I don't believe in coincidences… but in Fate. We had to come here, now, to meet this Lady, to know what happened."

The old woman touched Artemus's face with a trembling hand. "You're not him, but you you look exactly like him… like Jack Maitland. I thought he had come back from the dead… Are you his son?"

Pressing the old woman's frail hand in his, Artie lied, "Yes I am. My name is Artemus. I came here to know what happened to my father. I knew he had disappeared but that's all… my mother never knew what happened. She was pregnant with me when he disappeared."

The old woman looked up at Jim. "And you, Sir, you look exactly like your father too. That's incredible!" She smiled. "My name is Martha Edison. Your father was a good man. He was courageous and noble. He spent three days here in Charlotte before… that duel. He was so admired and popular that people wanted to invite him to dine at home. He had to make cards to give to the people, on which he had to note the time when he would come to see them. I know it because it was my father who was a printer who produced them ... "She blushed." I found Jack Maitland beautiful, elegant, strong…" She cleared her throat and continued, "He was traveling to Washington when he saved a pregnant woman and her husband traveling in a mail-coach to the North from bandits who wanted to steal them and probably kill them after. He wasn't armed, but used his fists to knock two of them unconscious, took a gun and managed to make the others flee. He was hit on his head in the fight… He lost consciousness for a few minutes and then he got into a mail-coach to Charlotte with its passengers because he no longer remembered where his horse was. The bandits probably stole it as it was never found."

The two agents exchanged a glance. They now knew how Jack Maitland 'was born'. The blow to the head had triggered a concussion followed by amnesia.

Mrs. Edison said, "It's good to see that you are friends. Because your fathers didn't like each other even if they were distant relatives, cousins, I believe. Mr. Danford was surprised to discover that Mr. Maitland was his cousin from Charleston."

Jim suddenly remembered that Jack Maitland had called him, "country cousin", acting superior and with a condescending tone. "Yes, we are – distant cousins."

Puzzled Artie frowned. Jim winked at him and mouthed, 'I'll explain later," as he recalled too that he hadn't told that detail to Artie.

He remembered too that when Artie had played 'Jack Maitland' on an assignment, Jim had played a role too: his distant cousin. Then when Artie–Jack Maitland had met Danford who looked like him like a twin, he had immediately thought he was his cousin, and told him he was.

Mrs. Edison continued, "It is what the coachman told to everyone after the arrival of the mail-coach to Charlotte. Jack Maitland was welcomed like a hero." She frowned, searching through her memory. "The man in the mail-coach was called Gordon… I'm sorry, but I don't remember his first name, but he was a pharmacist, and his wife was called Helena… they were living in the North…"

Intense stupefaction appeared on Artie's face. "They were heading north, to Green Hill, a small town not far from Galena, Illinois…"

Martha Edison was very surprised in her turn. "Yes, exactly. How do you know?"

Looking at Jim, Artemus said in a low voice, "My father told me that story once, when I was a boy. Mom and he had visited friends in Charleston before heading here. But I don't remember he told me that mom and he were saved from bandits by a man called Maitland though… " He sighed. "I know now why I came here – or why fate sent me here in September 1829. I had to save my parents and myself… It was my mission."

Frowning, puzzled, Jim asked in a low voice too, "Okay, but why did your mother never make the connection between you and Maitland?"

Looking down at the old woman Artie asked, "Did Mrs. Gordon see Mr. Maitland?"

Mrs. Edison shook her head. "No, she didn't. The poor thing was very ill and had taken a potion to sleep. The Gordons left for the north an hour after their arrival at Charlotte." She sighed and shook her head sadly. "Two days later, Harrison Danford… " She looked at Jim. "Harrison Danford, your father – who was jealous of your Mr. Maitland's popularity, insulted him during a soirée at the Mayor's place, organized to congratulate thank him for his courageous act."

Curious, Jim asked, "What did he tell him?"

Martha Edison sighed. "I'm not surprised he didn't tell you this. It was a shame! He pretended that Jack Maitland looked at his fiancée too closely, for the pleasure of humiliating him. But jack did not appreciate this lie, as he was a gentleman, and provoked Danford into a duel, with the choice of the weapon as he was the one insulted. He gave Danford his card and rendezvoused the next morning at dawn near the Catwamba River. There was a duel between the two and bandits interrupted it after they killed that poor old Mr. Levering… People who were there when the bandits attacked fled… and sometime later they saw Mr. Danford leave the town in a hurry… When they came back to retrieve the bodies – they knew Mr. Levering was dead and thought Mr. Maitland was dead too… they found only one corpse. Jack Maitland had disappeared… We don't know exactly what happened. His horse was found, but not his body… People thought the bandits threw him in the Catwamba River and they searched for him, but his body was never recovered. I'm sorry, that's what happened, Mr. Maitland. I wish you a good day, and to you too, Mr. Danford." She smiled and then left, Heading toward the entrance to the cemetery arched on her cane, with slow steps.

Looking down at Jack Maitland's grave, a last time, Artemus said, "My father died when I was a boy… He couldn't see the resemblance between his son and Jack Maitland… as for my mom, she didn't see him - me." He rubbed a hand over his face. "End of Jack Maitland's story."

Patting Artie's arm in a comforting gesture, Jim said, "End of that whole story with Colonel Vautrain. Let's go back to the Wanderer. I think you need a shot of whiskey – maybe two, and I do too."

Feeling better at that good idea, Artie nodded. "And a good cigar. Harrison Danford? Someone from your family, Jim?"

Jim shook his head. "I do not know, I will ask my parents if that name rings a bell. Let's go Artie. Cemeteries are depressing."

WWW

Two weeks later

St. Francis Mental Asylum

Washington

Noel Bartley Vautrain hid a smile when the orderly entered his cell, holding a syringe containing the drug which stunned him. What the other man did not know, and what the doctor did not know, was that he quickly got used to the drug. The usual dose no longer had any effect on him.

His brain worked perfectly.

He let the other man get close… pretending to be half asleep, and all of a sudden he hit the orderly in his stomach. He snatched the syringe from his hands and thrust the needle into his neck and then injected the drug into his veins.

Once the orderly was passed out on the floor, he took a deep breath and placed his hands in front of his face. He concentrated, called on to his power... and a few seconds later… he vanished.

The end.